Friend of God Series

BECOMING A FRIEND OF GOD – Part 3

“THE REBECCA AND THEN SOME PRINCIPLE”

January 14, 2007 ~ Pastor Mike Barnett

Genesis 24:1-67 (pg 15) says:

1 Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way. 2 He said to the chief ^[a] servant in his household, the one in charge of all that he had, "Put your hand under my thigh.

3 I want you to swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not get a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I am living, 4 but will go to my country and my own relatives and get a wife for my son Isaac."

5 The servant asked him, "What if the woman is unwilling to come back with me to this land? Shall I then take your son back to the country you came from?"

6 "Make sure that you do not take my son back there," Abraham said. 7 "The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring ^[b] I will give this land'-he will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there. 8 If the woman is unwilling to come back with you, then you will be released from this oath of mine. Only do not take my son back there." 9 So the servant put his hand under the thigh of his master Abraham and swore an oath to him concerning this matter.

10 Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and left, taking with him all kinds of good things from his master. He set out for Aram Naharaim ^[c] and made his way to the town of Nahor. 11 He had the camels kneel down near the well outside the town; it was toward evening, the time the women go out to draw water.

12 Then he prayed, "O LORD, God of my master Abraham, give me success today, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 See, I am standing beside this spring, and the daughters of the townspeople are coming out to draw water. 14 May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too'-let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master."

15 Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milcah, who was the wife of Abraham's brother Nahor. 16 The girl was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever lain with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again.

17 The servant hurried to meet her and said, "Please give me a little water from your jar."

18 "Drink, my lord," she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

19 After she had given him a drink, she said, "I'll draw water for your camels too, until they have finished drinking." 20 So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels. 21 Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the LORD had made his journey successful.

22 When the camels had finished drinking, the man took out a gold nose ring weighing a beka ^[d] and two gold bracelets weighing ten shekels. ^[e] 23 Then he asked, "Whose daughter are you? Please tell me, is there room in your father's house for us to spend the night?"

24 She answered him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son that Milcah bore to Nahor." 25 And she added, "We have plenty of straw and fodder, as well as room for you to spend the night."

26 Then the man bowed down and worshiped the LORD, 27 saying, "Praise be to the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the LORD has led me on the journey to the house of my master's relatives."

It was customary in that culture for the males to marry at 30, or sooner and Isaac was now 40.

Abraham was an old man now and took seriously his role to purchase a bride for his son, which was the custom of the day.

During that time in that culture, marriages were arranged by the parents.

Usually the Father’s son would give the Bride’s Family a large monetary gift. Brides were bought.

Having a lot of gorgeous daughters was a profitable venture in that culture.

Abraham and Isaac lived in Canaan and Abraham knew that Canaan would not be a good fishing pool to find the right wife for his son because of it’s moral pollution.

Abraham observed the increased wickedness among the Canaanites and knew by revelation from God that they were destined to be destroyed for punishment for their sin.

Abraham did not want to tarnish the family name by marrying a pagan non-believer, but he also did not want his son to be adversely influenced by the wickedness of the Canaanites.

Abraham did not want his son Isaac to go to Abraham’s home town of Mesopotamia, out of fear that he would settle there and not return to Canaan.

So, Abraham sent his servant to Mesopotamia to his home town where he grew up to find a wife for his son Isaac.

The servant asked, “What if the woman, is unwilling to come back with me to this land in Canaan.

Isaac, remembering God’s promise to prosper him and his descendents declared, “God will send his angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there”.

Abraham was confident that God would honor his promise and that the mission would be a sparkling success.

Abraham believed the mission would be successful without Isaac going, becomes God would go before him and choose the right bride for him.

Abraham knew that God’s Angles were ministering spirits, sent forth, not only for protection, but for guidance.

Hebrews 1:14 says:

14Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?

· Sometimes we are tempted to trust human effort instead of God’s powerful hand.

· Abraham wanted Isaac to stay in the safe confines of his house.

· Instead of sending Isaac to Mesopotamia to find a wife, Abraham was sending his servant – confident that God would find a wife for Isaac through his servant.

Abraham trusted God to find the right wife for Isaac – He was not trusting the flesh, but the Spirit!

The servant took ten of Abrahams camels and loaded them up with supplies and gifts to buy the bride known as a dowry.

After arriving to the appointed destination, the servant prayed, “O Lord, God of my master Abraham, give me success today and show kindness to my master Abraham…May it be that when I say to a girl, ‘Please let down your jar that I may have a drink’, and she says, ‘Drink, and I’ll water your camels too’ – let her be the one you have chosen for your servant Isaac. By this I will know that you have shown kindness to my master.”

The servant did not trust in his own abilities to find a wife for Isaac – He trusted God in prayer!

QUESTION: WHEN YOU ARE IN A TIGHT SPOT, DO YOU THINK FIRST, REACT FIRST….OR DO YOU PRAY FIRST… REALIZING GOD’S RESOURCES ARE FAR GREATER THAN YOUR OWN ABILITIES?

· The King James Version reads: “And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham.”

The servant acknowledges God by a particular prayer – He petitions God for prosperity and good success.

Matthew Henry, the great theologian of the 18^th century said: “WE HAVE LEAVE TO BE PARTICULAR IN RECOMMENDING OUR AFFAIRS TO THE CONDUCT AND CARE OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE. THOSE THAT WOULD HAVE GOOD SPEED MUST PRAY FOR IT”. Matthew Henry

The servant prayed for a prudent wife for his masters son and this was a good prayer because it is God’s will!

The servant desires that his master’s wife might be humble and industrious woman bred up to care and labor, and willing to put her hand to any good work that was to be done; and that she might be a courteous disposition, and charitable to strangers.

When he came to seek a wife for his master, the servant did not go to the park, and pray that he might meet one there, but to the well of water, expecting to find one there had at work.

ACCORDING TO HIS FAITH, IT WAS DONE UNTO HIM…JUST LIKE JESUS DECLARED IT WOULD BE!

Before He had finished praying, Rebecca came out with her jar on her shoulder.

THE ANSWER TO THIS PRAYER WAS SPEEDY – JUST LIKE REQUESTED!

God, hears are prayers before we pray!

Jesus said in Matthew 6:5-8 (pg. 684):

5"And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

God _________________________(knows) what we need before we pray, ask us to pray in ___________________(faith) anyway out of obedience to Him.

After praying, the servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”

Drink, my Lord, she said, and quickly lowered the jar and gave him a drink.

After she had given him a drink, she said, I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they finished drinking.

The servant, then waited to see if she would follow through on her verbal commitment.

“Without saying a word, the man watched her closely to learn whether or not the Lord had made his journey successful”.

She gave all ten camels all the water they wanted until they were full.

This probably took at least two or three hours considering the standard size jar of that time and the time it took to drew water for ten camels.

Rebecca gave more than she needed to, which __________________________(separated) her from the rest of the girls in the ___________________(crowd)!

She gave more than the culture expected or demanded – but the exact amount ________________ ____________________(God requires) – the second mile.

GOD REQUIRES THE VERY ________________(BEST) WE CAN GIVE, _______________(AND) ______________(THEN) ______________________(SOME).

“AND THEN SOME” PEOPLE ARE ____________________(FRIENDS) OF GOD THAT GOD ______________________(BLESSES)!

The servant took out a gold nose ring and two gold bracelets and asked her “Whose daughter are you? And is there room in your father’s house for us to spend the night?”

Rebecca told the man, “We have plenty of straw and fodder for the camels, as well as room for you to spend the night.

Rebecca went the ________________ _______________(second mile) _______________(again) and _______________(again) just like “Friends of God” do.

Not only did she offer the servant and drink of water.

But, she also offered to give the 10 camels water until they were full – this was a 2-3 hour project.

But then she offered up her father’s house for the guest to stay.

She didn’t say, let me check with my Dad first.

She didn’t say let me pray about it first.

She said, we have plenty of room.

Rebecca was a girl of faith and action!

Rebecca applied the “_________ _____________ ______________”(and then Some) Principle we see throughout the pages of the Bible.

She gave the servant water “and then some”.

She gave water to the camels “and then some”.

The servant was ____________________(looking) for a wife for Isaac that knew how to apply and ______________(live) by the “and then some” principle.

He wanted the best for Abraham and Isaac.

In faith the servant prayed for a woman that knew how to give more than the culture ______________________(required) and God answered his prayer.

Then the man bowed down and worshipped the Lord saying, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not abandoned his kindness and faithfulness to my master. As for me, the Lord has led me on the journey to the house of my master’s relatives.

The servant gave glory to God for finding Rebecca.

The servant had prayed for good speed and now that God had speedily answered his prayer as requested, he _____________________(quickly) gave ________________________(thanks) to God and worshipped Him!

JESUS TOLD HIS FOLLOWERS TO APPLY THE “REBECCA AND THEN SOME” PRINCIPLE WHEN HE TOLD THEM TO ____________(GO) THE __________________(EXTRA) MILE!

Matthew 5:38-48 says:

38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'^[a] 39But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.43"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor^[b] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies^[c] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:38-48

NOTE: BECOMING A FRIEND OF GOD MEANS: _____________________(LIVING) BY THE “REBECCA – AND THEN SOME PRINCIPLE” WHICH IS GIVING ________________(MORE) THAN IS ________________________(REQUIRED) OF YOU BY YOUR SOPOUSE, KIDS, FRIENDS, NEIGHBORS, CO-WORKERS, CHURCH AND CULTURE.

THE REBECCA STORY TEACHES US THAT FRIENDS OF GOD:

1. Pray first and foremost ___________________(before) acting or _____________________(reacting) to a situation.

Illus – Prayer for medical team in Guatemala

2. Praise God and _______________________(thank) Him when He answers your prayer.

Illus – Chris gave his testimony upon returning from Guatemala and gave glory to God.

3. Live by the “Rebecca and then some principle” by going the second mile and ____________________(giving) more than is ______________________(expected) or required of you in any situation that comes your way.

Illus – Going back to the gift store three times as we were leaving the hotel to go back to NASA to find the right gift for Michelle.

Mile one – Bought pink and white princess hat and Mickey Mouse Shirt.

Mile Two – exchanging Mickey Mouse shirt and buying Tinkerbelle night shirt instead.

Mile three – going back to gift shot to buy a white scrunchie that matches Michelle’s hat so she can wear it.

Bringing boys with me each time so they can see the “And then some principle” modeled in action.